Congratulations Park Geun-hye! Park, as she is called, is the new South Korean president and being a she, likewise, rules as that peninsular nation’s first woman head of state. If her name rings a bell, that is because her father, Park Chung-hee, was the namesake of the popular Korean dish consisting of half-hatched robin eggs and which became a fanatical San Francisco treat. No, I’m just bulls__ting you! Park Sr. became the third South Korean president a couple of years after he took power in a 1961 coup.
Political dynasties are nothing new to Eastern governments just as they are no novelty here in the United States. Here we have the Adams Family, I speak of John and John Quincy, not the ones who are “creepy and they’re kooky.” Plus, Americans have the Bushes, George H.W., and his sometimes idiot offspring, George W., (or Gee Dubya) The latter also took office in a coup of sorts, having won his first election after a Republican majority in the nominally non-partisan Supreme Court declared George the Younger the winner of the 2000 presidential election.
I thought it would be interesting to hear what those razor-blade sharp, wordsmiths at the Korean Central News Agency (KNS) of the DPRK had to say about the first woman ruling the nation to the South. DPRK, by the way, stands for “Commie North Korea.”
As it turns out, the North Koreans haven’t finished bashing the last president. That, or they have yet to figure out that She Park Jr. is the new ruler. Get a load of this “op-ed” piece from Rodong Sinmun, blasting the former South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak. As it turns out, Rodong Sinmum is the official organ for the DPRK communist party and is plenty bizarre in its own right. The paper takes swipes at Lee, as he was known as a hardliner toward North Korea during his often controversial term in office from 2008 until today, when Ms. Park took over. Here Rodong says what it really feels:
“The successive rulers of south Korea without exception pursued a policy of sycophancy and dependence towards outside forces, betraying the nation. But, Lee put all other traitors into the shade in servility, base nature and treachery … “All Koreans will never pardon Lee for his flunkeyism and treachery but mete out a stern punishment to him with pent-up grudge and resentment.”
Let’s see now, what is the best way to wound a hated “traitor?” Okay, how about punishing him with pent-up grudge and resentment. No doubt such feelings are likely not in short supply in a nation such as the DPRK, where only freedom of expression is in shorter supply that food.
KNS also shows its softer side. For instance, here is a report on a national festival known as “Full Moon Day.”
“Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) — Full Moon Day, which falls on February 24 this year, is one of the traditional holidays for the Koreans.
“People in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea enjoyed the day pleasantly, delighted with the recent successful third nuclear test.
“Restaurants throughout the country, including Okryu and Chongryu restaurants in Pyongyang and Sinhung Restaurant in Hamhung, served varieties of special national dishes.
“People took noodles and dishes made of nine kinds of dried edible herbs, while playing such folklore amusement games as Korean chess and yut-game with family members, relatives and neighbors.”
What a glorious day for North Koreans to celebrate! Soon, the full moon arrives:
“As it is getting dark, citizens are seen enjoying the first full moon on Moran Hill and banks of the River Taedong in Pyongyang, Inphung Pavilion in Kanggye, Yaksandongdae in Nyongbyon and other scenic spots of the country.
“Kim Nam Sik, a 54-year-old man who climbed Moran Hill to see the full moon, told KCNA:
“”From olden times, the Koreans would tell their desire for the year to the first full moon, wishing that their desire would come into reality.
“It is my desire that the DPRK, a satellite manufacturing and launching state and a full-fledged nuclear state, always remains as a powerful nation any other countries dare not provoke.””
Such a great holiday. Where else but North Korea can one celebrate the beauty of nature combined with the joy of one’s nation becoming a supposed “full-fledged nuclear state?” Yes, we wish Ms. Park Jr. all the luck in the world as she assumes the presidency. Having a nutty neighbor with a nuclear weapon, it would seem South Korea needs all the luck in the world. Perhaps even the rest of the world needs that much luck as well.
Comments are closed.